


A cognition for a shadow.

by ReWild7



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:35:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReWild7/pseuds/ReWild7
Summary: I just wanted to write the frist short thing that poped up in my mind. This is totally spoiler free from the game and belongs to my own universe where I gave a whole personality to the Shadow Joker boss fight (which appears in the trailer) and the others. If the writing has no sense, just read the first sentence of this note again.I apologise for my bad English, not my first language, still trying to learn how to write since I am more of an artist.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	A cognition for a shadow.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write the frist short thing that poped up in my mind. This is totally spoiler free from the game and belongs to my own universe where I gave a whole personality to the Shadow Joker boss fight (which appears in the trailer) and the others. If the writing has no sense, just read the first sentence of this note again.
> 
> I apologise for my bad English, not my first language, still trying to learn how to write since I am more of an artist.

He must be fucking with him.

Shadow Joker looked at Shadow Skull with a stare of disapproval. A partner? For him? For his patrols? Never.

"I don't want a burden to carry, I'm fine by myself!"

"Tomokawa, you almost killed yourself yesterday because a Persona that was too strong for you almost chopped your head of." Said Shadow Skull scolding him.

"And that was awesome!" replied Mao enthusiast.

"No, it wasn't." paused for a second "Listen, I understand that you are the leader and the strongest shadow in this team, but even leaders need a right arm."

Mao wasn't listening. He kept his stare low, in again, a sight of disapproval.

"I was born to be the strongest for a reason, right? Why would I need support for missions that involve only me?"

Skull sighed, everytime it was a period and return trying to make Shadow Joker think and understand his position in the argument.

"I already told you why : you need someone to avoid yourself getting killed! And that person is in the next room."

"What the.."

Mao grinded his sharp theet, so he was forced to accept. The fact that said person was already there without him being asked in the first place, if it was okay to invite someone in the jail and could be a possible enemy, was sending him nuts. He was the leader, but sometimes, really felt he wasn't since everyone behaved just the way they wanted.

"FUCKING FINE THEN!!!" He stood up the table aggressively, walking whide steps towards the room that should lead him to his new, apparently, “ _new partner._ ” But lets’ be real, even if refused a thousand times he was forced to accept them anyways, after all, those were orders fom the Monarch for sure, and he couldn’t disobey.

"Tomokawa, wait!"

Too late to stop him. Shadow Joker slammed the door, and Shadow Skull got highly nervous. Their guests was someone important and he didn't want to make the leader appear in a way that obviously he wasn't. " _First impression matters!_ " That was his motto and it was just broken in thousand of pieces, kicked and thrown in the trash. Mao's guest and future partner, didn't get scared of neither surprised about the unexpected bursting. He was informed earlier that his future partner was... particular. He stood up and the leader of the Shadow Phantom Thieves was surprised about his looks : his brunette hair and the school uniform that was highly familiar. Wait, the scent. He wasn't a shadow, that was a cognition.

"Is a pleasure to finally meet the leader of the team." Said the cognition standing up from the chair and slowly walking towards the two shadows. "First if you allow me, let me introduce myself : I am the cognition Goro Akechi that used to belong to the captain Masayoshi Shido. Unfortunately, he has sunk with his ship thanks to the Phantom Thieves."

Mao stared silently, and stared at the hand that the cognition was lending him, waiting for a hand shake. Shadow Skulls heartbeat was in his throat, the way that Mao could have reacted towards Cognitive Akechi could have been aggressive as either peaceful, he was just hoping for the best and not a mess. Shadow Joker refused the handshake by gently moving away the gloved hand of the other and decided to focus himself on the scent. He could smell the darkness and sorrow on him. He never had met a cognition in all his existence and curiosity, like a beast, was eating him alive. But Mao however, was well aware that cognitions weren't like him, so that's why he always despited them. 

“Never met someone like you… but I have heard about it. You are a cognition, how interesting.”

Mao said, slightly growling at him but at the same time smelling the hair walking circles around him.

“Tell me, Cognitive Akechi, I know you _have a lot_ of have experience in taking orders.”

“I do, sir.”

Shadow Joker hummed.

“I don’t like you at all, but unfortunately I must accept you as my partner; you won’t be a burden to me, right?”

“I won’t, sir.”

“Sir!” Mao mocked the title that Cognitive Akechi was giving him to sound more respectful. He already had a bunch of idiots of his teammates to call him like that outside of Shadow Skull, didn’t need another.

“Tch! Everything you cognitions are good is taking orders, like little dogs barking and never use your fangs to something more useful than that!.”

The cognition didn’t reply. Shadow Skull wanted to intervene but everything he did was crossing his arms and rest his back on the wall. He felt that, deep inside, Mao was going to ruin their reputation of their powerful jail, but it wouldn’t be the first time, still, he was afraid.

“Call me Sir, another time, and I will end you existence! Even though it should have been ended the day that the stupid ship has sunk!”

And he really meant that words that were shouted in the whole room echoing clearly to their ears. There was no thing he hated more than him in that moment, and the fact he was forced to accept it was sending him in rea nuts. Evenif Mao used his height as a way to intimidate the congition, he didn't recive a reaction back.

"It's stronger than me, I must leave."

The shadow left the room mumbling the worst words his mind could elaborate.

“My deep apologies, I-”

“There is no need to excuse yourself, Skull-san.”

said Cognitive Akechi fixing his tie.

“I was well informed about his nature.”

Shadow Skull sighed in relief

“If you allow me, I’d rather see now the room where I will reside.”

“A-Absolutely, please let me lead you.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

And they walked there, in the hope not to meet Shadow Joker’s in their way.

“Sir Tomokawa mentioned about us cogitions being like, dogs barking, could you please explain me what he was referring to?”

“Well, about the fact that cognitions, although shadows, need to live attached to their palace ruler to exist. Us Shadow Phantom thieves, however, are not atorized to be connected to our other self to live.” Explained calmly Shadow Skull gesticulating the important words. “Me and the thieves developed different personalities with time to time, kind of detached from our originals, you on the other hand, are not allowed to feel and have free will, not that we have a complete one too.”

And it was true.

Cognitive Akechi was emotionless and without feelings, he couldn’t tell how he was feeling even the moment his, apparently partner, shouted on his face.

“ _Originals?_ " He paused on the word "If you allow me sir, you started developing a personality of your own as you said, correct? Doesn’t that make you an original of yourself?”

Skull never thought about it that way.

“I guess you are right.”

He nodded waiting for the congition to do back, but he didn’t do it. Their chat was distracting enough to make them arrive to the room. Unfortunately, it was next to Mao.

“Hope you won’t mind, to stay next to him.” “

For nothing, orders are orders after all."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Thank you again for leading me here. Hope you have a pleasant day.”

Said his last words of the day Cognitive Akechi, grabbing the keys from the shadow’s hand and shutting himself into the room.

Shadow Skull felt that a big weight on his chest was added instead of being lifted and thrown away. He really hoped that the Monarch would have understood the situation bu how could have he explained it without upsetting them up? How stressful. He remembered when things were okay, before Mao’s corruption and all the big mess that was created after. Five moths passed from that and still he thought that he was unbelievable. Unbelievable to know what happen when you disobey the Monarch, and he wish he didn’t know in that moment. Luckily he always had a good behaviour.

It was not the ideal time for thoughts, now he had to face the ruler of that jail, report the situation and hope for the best.


End file.
